Despite appearances, in particular that of Alex Gibbs, the Broncos aren’t returning full time to the zone-blocking, one-cut running scheme of their glory years.

But when they do use it, they’d like to get better at it.

During an offseason in which they hired Greg Knapp to be their quarterbacks coach and drafted tailback Montee Ball, the Broncos have brought back Gibbs as an offensive line consultant.

“He’ll be a good resource,” said head coach John Fox. “I know from competing against (Gibbs) over the years that he can help us.”

Gibbs, 72, was considered the brains behind the Broncos’ famed zone-blocking, one-cut running game when he was their offensive line coach from 1995-2003. He will help offensive line coach Dave Magazu this year.

The Broncos started running away from the zone scheme in 2009 when head coach Josh McDaniels brought in a power-blocking style. While there will be plenty of “power” running in the Denver offense this year, it appears the playbook will incorporate more of a zone-blocking, one-cut system.

Knapp was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and the Oakland Raiders (2007-08, 2012) when those teams ran the zone-blocking system. Gibbs was Knapp’s offensive line coach in Atlanta.

Ball is a second-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, which used a lot of zone-blocking, one-cut running.

“I understand what my strengths are,” Ball said. “I’m not going to outrun somebody or I’m not going to run around them. I know I need to be a one-cut type running back to get the first down.”

The Broncos won two Super Bowls with Gibbs as their offensive line coach. That was when tailback Terrell Davis joined quarterback John Elway as the team’s biggest stars.

Elway now runs the Broncos’ football operations.

Until next time. Three rookies — Ball, UCLA cornerback Aaron Hester and California running back C.J. Anderson — must leave the Broncos until their college class’ graduation day.

Ball will miss only a week. He will return in time for the start of organized team activities May 20. But college graduation day for Hester and Anderson isn’t until mid-June, so they can’t return to Broncos headquarters until the start of training camp in late July.

It’s the NFL rule that prevented Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck from participating in offseason workouts last year. But both wound up having very good rookie seasons.

Passing the audition. The Broncos officially added Colorado State de- fensive end Lanston Tanyi and UCLA defensive end Damien Holmes to their offseason roster Sunday, signing the undrafted duo to contracts. Tanyi and Holmes tried out during the three-day rookie minicamp. Doug Rippy, an undrafted rookie linebacker from Colo- rado, was released.

Next up. Veterans led by Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey and Von Miller return Monday for the final week of the team’s Phase II offseason program.

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill didn’t know what to do when he started hearing thousands of people in Arrowhead Stadium chanting his name, even as he stood all alone on the frozen turf waiting for the punt.